Dubai-based ride-hailing firm Careem is creating about 80,000 jobs for men and women every month, the firm’s co-founder said.
According to a local media reports, the platform currently has about 800,000 people who earn a living as Careem captains.
Mudassir Sheikha, co-founder, Careem, said that while the app does not directly employ anyone as drivers are self-employed, they undergo training and receive other benefits, including emergency funds and free education.
Sheikha highlighted that Careem is creating 70-80,000 new jobs every month, which is probably one of the fastest job creating engines in the region.
In the UAE an emergency fund is in place for captains, which they can tap into if they have a need that is not covered by their income, while in Pakistan, Careem has partnered with a number of schools where captains can send their children for education, said Sheikha.
Last week, Careem has unveiled its first “captinah” in Saudi Arabia, as the Gulf kingdom prepares to allow women behind the wheel from next month. Enaam Gazi Al-Aswad was selected from around 3,000 women as Careem’s first female driver in the Kingdom. She has reportedly received all the necessary training from Careem after being hand-picked by the company soon after last year’s royal decree on women driving.
The Middle East’s homegrown ride-hailing service also reached a regional milestone as it is now present in 100 cities, following the announcement that the company is gearing up to enter Khartoum, Sudan.
